Nature Tourism in the Lone Star State

From a state perspective, the goals of nature-based tourism in Texas are to: promote habitat conservation, promote sustainable economic development, and build broad-based public support for wildlife conservation programs. Texas Parks and Wildlife has chosen to implement a nature-based tourism program that is uniquely suited to a private land state such as Texas. Our efforts are concentrated on providing a diversity of recreational opportunities to an increasingly urban population of Texans as well as to a growing number of visitors from other states and countries.

We have done this by providing wildlife viewing driving trails such as the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail and Great Texas Wildlife Viewing Trails, and by working with private landowners and communities to develop nature tourism enterprises. Our goal is to connect people with nature by making it easier for them to enjoy the natural resources of Texas and thus to care about conserving them.